I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Education

“Ning Chen…” Shenyu managed to call out. Seeing that Ning Chen still refused to let go of his chin, he had no choice but to reach out and gently stroke Ning Chen’s hand as a gesture of comfort.

Ning Chen gradually snapped out of it. He reined in his emotions and loosened his grip.

Shenyu looked at Ning Chen and gave him a reassuring kiss on the cheek. “Ning Chen, stop worrying blindly. I won’t terminate the contract early, and I’m not going to get married.”

This wasn’t just to coax Ning Chen; even in his own world, He Shenyu had never thought about marriage. Let alone in this novel world—to be honest, he didn’t really have a strong desire for romance. He was the type of person who could space out alone all day without feeling bored.

“Really?” Ning Chen looked up at He Shenyu, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Shenyu took a deep breath. He had decided that his primary mission in this world was to change Ning Chen’s fate. Therefore, everything else could give way to this highest priority.

Perhaps he had never thought about it seriously, but he was undeniably an absolute idealist.

With a sense of total devotion, He Shenyu held Ning Chen’s shoulders and leaned in for a kiss.

Ning Chen, believe me, I came here for you…

Shenyu thought to himself. His movements were fervent, kissing with a mix of piety and depth. He cupped the back of Ning Chen’s neck, stroking it gently as the kiss deepened.

Ning Chen looked down, watching He Shenyu’s expression, letting him take the lead for a long time.

Eventually, he could no longer restrain himself. He pinned He Shenyu against the sofa cushions and kissed him back heavily.

A silent, lingering tension spread through the air as the two kissed until they were breathless. It reached a point where Ning Chen could no longer control himself; he was forced to end the conversation, turning away to flee into the bathroom.

After he left, the air seemed to retain that scorching heat. He Shenyu touched his lips and let out a soft sigh.

He could no longer tell where his bottom line was… He felt his relationship with Ning Chen sliding toward another abyss, but what could he do?

The intel he had wasn’t enough to support leaving Fu Hengzhan’s hospital yet; in fact, the situation had become more complex. If Dr. He’s parents were on the same side as the Fu family, he couldn’t just walk away. Using Dr. He’s identity and spending Dr. He’s money meant that, even if only to resolve the karma of this body, he shouldn’t just ignore the parents.

However, Ning Chen… Ning Chen seemed to have immersed himself too deeply in the role of a “canary.”

This was something He Shenyu didn’t want to see, yet he was the one doing things that reinforced that impression. He found it incredibly difficult; nothing in this world could be perfect in every aspect. He knew this—he knew it clearly—yet he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness.

Since he traveled here, he always felt he could preserve Ning Chen’s innocence, but it seemed… he had failed.

Thinking of this, He Shenyu couldn’t sit still. He stood up and walked toward the bedroom. Ning Chen was still in the bathroom.

Through the glass door, He Shenyu called out, “Ning Chen.”

“Yeah.” Ning Chen’s voice was faint, perhaps muffled by the door.

Shenyu paced in place, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking slowly: “Ning Chen, you should know that being a ‘secret lover’ is wrong, right?”

“Yeah…” Ning Chen’s voice carried a hint of hesitation.

Shenyu continued: “The way you just blurted that out made me really worried. Don’t learn those toxic values from the internet. You’re still a college student; you need to maintain your integrity. Otherwise, what will you do once you enter society?”

“I understand…” Ning Chen whispered.

“Good.” Shenyu breathed a sigh of relief. “I know you’re a good kid. You only accepted being a ‘sugar baby’ for your brother’s medical bills. You don’t need to learn those strange things.”

He hesitated, biting his lip before adding: “I already like the way you originally are. You don’t need to try to please me on purpose. I won’t end the contract early, so don’t worry.”

“Mm…” Ning Chen seemed to take a deep breath. Suddenly, he said, “Shenyu, say my name…”

“Ning Chen?” Shenyu didn’t quite get why, but he complied. “Ning Chen, Ning Chen-chen…”

He received no response. He took a step closer, curious about what Ning Chen was doing. But Ning Chen didn’t speak again.

A long while later, Ning Chen opened the door and walked out. He seemed to have splashed his face with water; his bangs were wet, and droplets rolled down the bridge of his nose toward his cheeks.

“What were you doing?” He Shenyu asked, confused. “Do you need to wash your face after using the bathroom?”

“Doing what every man does,” Ning Chen said, looking at him. “Shenyu, I’m not as innocent as you think.”

The realization finally hit He Shenyu, and his face instantly flushed red. He really shouldn’t have asked.

He thought for a moment and said, “That has nothing to do with innocence; it’s a normal physiological phenomenon.”

Ning Chen looked at him and suddenly wanted to ask: Then have you ever wondered what exactly caused my reaction?

But staring into He Shenyu’s dark brown eyes, seeing not a single trace of malice toward him, Ning Chen felt there was no need to provoke him.

What would be the point? He couldn’t even settle his own heart…

Why did he always want to embrace him? Why did he always want to kiss him? Why was he always triggered by He Shenyu’s casual movements?

Ning Chen couldn’t answer. He already knew the answer, but he refused to turn the page to look at it.

Shenyu grabbed a tissue and wiped the water off Ning Chen’s face. Before he could finish, Ning Chen grabbed his wrist.

Ning Chen nipped at his earlobe and whispered, “Don’t provoke me right now, Shenyu.”

Shenyu was a bit dazed. Seeing Ning Chen take the tissue to wipe his own face and even step back a few paces, he said hesitantly: “Did what I said earlier upset you? I didn’t mean to lecture you, but I am a few years older after all. I thought I should talk to you about these things.”

Ning Chen laughed inexplicably. “I understand. I’ve taken it to heart, Professor Shenyu. I won’t talk about being a ‘secret lover’ so casually anymore.”

Shenyu nodded. “Okay, that’s good.”

…

Shenyu noticed that Ning Chen had been a bit strange lately.

He wasn’t sure if he had over-lectured him last time, but Ning Chen seemed to be avoiding him slightly. He couldn’t put his finger on it—their usual conversations were the same—but he rarely hugged him anymore. Only when He Shenyu initiated a lean-in would Ning Chen respond like before; he was no longer as proactive.

Shenyu was somewhat relieved that Ning Chen had listened and was no longer “serving” him so actively. Yet, for some reason, it felt a bit odd… It felt like even Ning Chen’s eyes were avoiding him. But he couldn’t exactly ask about it, so he was forced to just get used to it.

Truthfully, he felt a bit of regret. He really was lazy, yet he felt embarrassed to constantly ask Ning Chen to hold him.

Beep—

The door opened. Shenyu looked back to see Ning Chen returning. Recently, Ning Chen had been coming home later than He Shenyu. He heard Ning Chen was participating in a project with a professor that offered a commission, so he was working very hard.

Ning Chen wore a black windbreaker and cargo pants, similar to their first meeting, just with an added jacket. His backpack wasn’t the old one anymore; after the zipper broke once, He Shenyu had bought him a new one when picking him up. Now, a little white bear charm hung from the new bag, adding a spark of brightness to his all-black outfit.

Ning Chen seemed to be in a good mood today. He smiled upon seeing He Shenyu. “Shenyu.”

“Yeah,” He Shenyu looked at him and asked, “Did something happen? You’re smiling so happily today?”

Ning Chen paused. “Did I not look happy before?”

Shenyu shook his head. “No, it’s just that lately, I feel like you’re a bit uncomfortable when you see me. Is it just my imagination?”

“Mm,” Ning Chen looked at him and spoke firmly. “I’ve just been too busy lately, so I’ve been tired.”

It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you. It’s just that being near you makes it hard to control myself. Do you feel it too? Don’t you like me? Why don’t you lose control? Or is just staying with me enough to make you happy? I suppose… you were never a person who seeks to take things…

“Alright,” He Shenyu nodded, accepting the explanation. He smiled and said, “You still haven’t told me why you’re so happy!”

Ning Chen smiled and replied, “My mom told me Ning You can be discharged from the hospital, so I’m happy.”

“Wow,” He Shenyu was excited too. “That’s definitely worth celebrating! When is he getting out? Should we go pick him up?”

Ning Chen shook his head. “I have classes all day that day, so I won’t go. It’s fine; once he’s out, we can visit him anytime.”

“Okay.”

…

They talked about visiting Ning You, but Ning Chen’s mother had just moved out of the hospital to find an apartment and was very busy, so she didn’t have them over. It was delayed for two weeks until they finally picked Ning You up on the weekend.

During this time, Ning Chen’s mother had gone for interviews. Her resume was actually quite good, so she should be able to find work. She planned to look for a suitable school for Ning You once she started working again.

Ning Chen knew her plans and didn’t try to stop her from working. He knew his mother vaguely sensed something. When he brought He Shenyu over, she acted completely normal. But when they took Ning You away and got into that luxury car, his mother stood by the window and shed tears as she watched them.

Ning Chen took one look and turned his head away, his heart feeling even more bitter. He had no way to explain the truth to her—that her son wasn’t being bullied.

However, looking at the humble rental apartment and remembering his mother’s hints about working hard in the future, Ning Chen felt a weight on his chest. He opened his phone’s memo app and lost himself staring at a long list of debts.

“Brother, where are we going to play?” Ning You leaned over curiously.

Because he was still so small, Ning Chen didn’t sit in the front passenger seat but stayed in the back with him. Ning Chen turned off his screen and hid it. Ning You knew a few words now; he didn’t want anyone to see it.

Seeing that Ning Chen didn’t answer, He Shenyu smiled and looked back. He said to Ning You, “Brother He is taking you out to play today, so of course, we follow my plan! Your brother doesn’t even know yet!”

Ning You leaned forward curiously. “Then Brother He, where are we going?”

Shenyu smiled. “It’s a secret for now!” He reached out and patted Ning You’s head. “Sit tight, we’re heading out!”

“Okay!” Ning You replied brightly, his voice full of undisguised joy.

Beside him, Ning Chen seemed to be in a daze. Shenyu unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and patted Ning Chen’s leg, whispering, “Ning Chen, what’s wrong? Why are you out of it?”